Joined
·
2 Posts
Dr. Changebrush, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Scrub The Comm
EDIT TO SAY THAT THIS GUIDE IS USED AT YOUR OWN RISK, I DON'T ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR MESSING YOURSELF OR YOUR CAR UP AND I'M SURE TOYOTANATION DOESN'T EITHER. ENJOY!
I've used so many of the awesome DIYs here (radiator, tranny fluid exchange, cluster bulbs, timing belt, EGR valve) that I thought I'd sign up and contribute one of my own. Today I swapped out the brushes on my front driver's side power window motor, so I thought I'd document the process for all to see. I had been having a problem with the window motor intermittently stopping while rolling up, since the brushes are cheap, I thought I'd give them a go!
STUFF NEEDED:
Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
Ratchet w/ 10mm socket
10mm combo wrench
New motor brushes (see below)
Contact cleaner, white lithium grease, and silicone lube
Rags and gloves
MAYBE: File or fine grit sandpaper, soldering iron and solder
Start by putting on some gloves. The inside of the door is pretty grimy, and if you're anything like me, you love working on cars but hate having nasty hands afterward =P Change gloves often!
First, we need to remove the door card. Unscrew everything with a red arrow. The tweeter cover (green arrow) comes off by gently prying it at the top; the door handle trim comes off by gently prying at the two blue arrows (between the trim and handle/lock). The tab on the side of the door card comes off by pushing in the middle button, then pulling the entire assembly out.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Next, remove the window switch by gently pulling back to unclip at the front, then lifting up. Unplug the switch and feed the harness back into the door.
![]()
Pull the door card off by pulling away at the bottom until loose, then lifting the top off. Don't be afraid to use some pressure to get it off, but it shouldn't be too hard. If you're lucky, a quarter will fall out of your door. You may wonder how it got there, like I did. Or how it got so mangled. Hopefully, you'll move on (a quarter richer!) since we have a job to do.
![]()
Now, pull away the plastic sheeting from the bottom and left side, roll it up, and stuff it behind the door handle so it's out of your way. The two red arrows point to the 10mm screws which mount the window to the regulator track. Unscrew them, then wiggle until the notches on the window clips are free from the track, then pull the window up and out of the door. Set aside for later (some people tape it up in the door track, but we'll see why it's better to take it out).
![]()
This is the plug for the window motor. We need to unclip it from the door (use a screwdriver on the top and bottom to release it), then unplug it and stuff the motor side into the door cavity.
![]()
The next two pictures show how the window motor is mounted and aligned in the door. Remove all 6 brass 10mm screws, then remove the regulator from the door. To do so, you have to get the alignment tabs (red arrows) free from the door; there's really no better explanation for this process than simply wiggling and twisting the regulator and motor until it is free.
![]()
![]()
Here is the motor and regulator assembly. Gross, huh? Gloves are your friend! Use the white lithium grease spray to lubricate the whole thing (red arrows are the contact points).
![]()
Now we remove the motor from the regulator using the three marked screws. BE CAREFUL! The entire assembly is spring loaded and the motor is locked into place. This means that there's a good chance that when you take the motor off, the regulator spring is going to release its tension. To control this, I held the regulator against the ground under my shoe while removing the screws; then, when I pulled the motor away, I gently let the spring uncoil so it didn't take my finger off.
![]()
Once the motor is removed, there are two screws (red circles) to remove the magnet housing. Unscrew them and pull the housing away.
![]()
![]()
The threaded end sticking out is the armature--pull it out and the motor will now be disassembled and ready for a rebuild. The red arrow is pointing at the commutator, or comm, which rotates within the brushes (green arrows) due to a torque generated by current in the armature windings interacting with the magnetic field of the magnets in the housing. Clean up the comm using some contact cleaner and a towel, it is also a good idea to use a soft brush to clean out the gaps on the comm.
![]()
Remove the old brushes by unclipping the springs holding them in, and pulling off the brass clips (called brush hoods). These old brushes are thrashed and in desperate need of replacement.
![]()
If you're stupid like me, you'll buy these brushes. They are slightly too thick to fit, and as you can see they don't have any hoods (clips). This means I had to file them down and solder the hoods on from the old brushes. I bought them from Ultimate Hobbies in Orange, CA, but any hobby/RC shop will have a massive selection. If you're smarter than me, you'll take the brushes with you and ask the cool hobby guy to find you the closest match possible. It'll save you a ton of time (I suck at soldering, and since the brushes are pretty fragile, you have to file them down very deliberately to avoid breaking them). The hobby guy said that they are copper brushes, which will last longer but wear the comm more (though not enough to cause any problems for a VERY long while).
![]()
Spray some white lithium into the cavity in the middle (this is the worm gear) and let it drain a bit. Install the new brushes and clip in the hoods (green arrows), but DON'T clip the springs onto the back of the brushes yet! If you do, the next step won't work...
![]()
Install the armature back into the motor, being sure the brushes end up touching the comm. Now you can clip the springs in--if you had done this before, the brushes would have been too close together and the armature wouldn't fit!
![]()
Pay close attention to this step, because if you rush it you're going to be hating life for a little while! We're ready to put the magnet housing back onto the motor now. The only problem is that the magnets are going to want to pull the armature out while we do it. If so, the last step is going to come back to haunt us: the comm will slip off of the brushes, which will be pushed together by the springs and then the comm won't fit back down. To avoid this, we need to keep the motor gear from spinning, which will keep the armature in place in the motor. I found that the easiest way to do this is to lever a flathead screwdriver between the gear and the raised edge around it (green arrow), then put the housing on (it is upside down in this picture--the writing should be face down when installing the housing). If the armature moves, go back and unclip the springs, spread the brushes out, insert the armature, and try again!)
![]()
![]()
Now we can reinstall the motor into the regulator. Notice the wear marks (green arrow) on the regulator gear--this is the upper limit of the regulator's travel in your window. I never like exceeding the normal travel of a part during a service (bleeding brakes/pedal travel, adjusting throttle/throttle cable, etc), so I squeeze some tension back into the regulator until the tab is within the wear mark, then insert the motor underneath and hold the regulator tight while screwing the motor back on (red circles).
![]()
Now for a little maintenance. While we have the window out, let's lubricate the tracks using some silicone spray lube. This is good practice once a year on all 4 windows, but we never get this kind of access so don't be shy! Also, there are 3 sides of the window that can't be cleaned unless the window is out of the door. They will be filthy. Clean them!
![]()
![]()
And guess what? We're ready to put it all back together! Stick the window and motor back into the door cavity, and line up those alignment tabs to hold it in place. This is really no fun--it's essentially a do-by-feel process, though I did find it easiest to align the two top tabs first, then rotate everything else until the other two were in. Then put the 6 10mm bolts back in to secure it all.
![]()
Pull the motor harness back out and plug it in--remember to clip it back onto the door.
![]()
Temporarily connect the power window switch and test it! be sure the track inside moves up and down freely (again, I'm never comfortable testing the upper and lower limits so I'd recommend staying in the middle). Roll the track down until you have access to reinstall the window, then put it back in the door (take it slow and be sure both sides are securely in the channels!) and secure the window clips to the bottom track. Test the window again, all the way up and down.
![]()
![]()
Replace the plastic sheeting and put the door card back on by feeding the window switch into the handle, hanging the top onto the door and smacking the bottom clips back into place. Plug the window switch back in, reinstall the fasteners, door handle trim, and tweeter surround, and you're done!
![]()
![]()
If you're like me, you'll grab a beer and be satisfied with yourself =] Then you'll be pissed when the motor still grinds to a halt. There was a lot of play in my regulator (the entire thing felt loose--both tracks twisted, and the hinge in the middle had probably 1 mm of horizontal play), and I think it is binding up and causing the motor to overheat and trip its internal circuit breaker.
If anyone has any other ideas as to why it is happening, please let me know! Otherwise I hope this DIY might help a few people tackle this job. Thanks for reading!
EDIT TO SAY THAT THIS GUIDE IS USED AT YOUR OWN RISK, I DON'T ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR MESSING YOURSELF OR YOUR CAR UP AND I'M SURE TOYOTANATION DOESN'T EITHER. ENJOY!
I've used so many of the awesome DIYs here (radiator, tranny fluid exchange, cluster bulbs, timing belt, EGR valve) that I thought I'd sign up and contribute one of my own. Today I swapped out the brushes on my front driver's side power window motor, so I thought I'd document the process for all to see. I had been having a problem with the window motor intermittently stopping while rolling up, since the brushes are cheap, I thought I'd give them a go!
STUFF NEEDED:
Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
Ratchet w/ 10mm socket
10mm combo wrench
New motor brushes (see below)
Contact cleaner, white lithium grease, and silicone lube
Rags and gloves
MAYBE: File or fine grit sandpaper, soldering iron and solder
Start by putting on some gloves. The inside of the door is pretty grimy, and if you're anything like me, you love working on cars but hate having nasty hands afterward =P Change gloves often!
First, we need to remove the door card. Unscrew everything with a red arrow. The tweeter cover (green arrow) comes off by gently prying it at the top; the door handle trim comes off by gently prying at the two blue arrows (between the trim and handle/lock). The tab on the side of the door card comes off by pushing in the middle button, then pulling the entire assembly out.
Next, remove the window switch by gently pulling back to unclip at the front, then lifting up. Unplug the switch and feed the harness back into the door.
Pull the door card off by pulling away at the bottom until loose, then lifting the top off. Don't be afraid to use some pressure to get it off, but it shouldn't be too hard. If you're lucky, a quarter will fall out of your door. You may wonder how it got there, like I did. Or how it got so mangled. Hopefully, you'll move on (a quarter richer!) since we have a job to do.
Now, pull away the plastic sheeting from the bottom and left side, roll it up, and stuff it behind the door handle so it's out of your way. The two red arrows point to the 10mm screws which mount the window to the regulator track. Unscrew them, then wiggle until the notches on the window clips are free from the track, then pull the window up and out of the door. Set aside for later (some people tape it up in the door track, but we'll see why it's better to take it out).
This is the plug for the window motor. We need to unclip it from the door (use a screwdriver on the top and bottom to release it), then unplug it and stuff the motor side into the door cavity.
The next two pictures show how the window motor is mounted and aligned in the door. Remove all 6 brass 10mm screws, then remove the regulator from the door. To do so, you have to get the alignment tabs (red arrows) free from the door; there's really no better explanation for this process than simply wiggling and twisting the regulator and motor until it is free.
Here is the motor and regulator assembly. Gross, huh? Gloves are your friend! Use the white lithium grease spray to lubricate the whole thing (red arrows are the contact points).
Now we remove the motor from the regulator using the three marked screws. BE CAREFUL! The entire assembly is spring loaded and the motor is locked into place. This means that there's a good chance that when you take the motor off, the regulator spring is going to release its tension. To control this, I held the regulator against the ground under my shoe while removing the screws; then, when I pulled the motor away, I gently let the spring uncoil so it didn't take my finger off.
Once the motor is removed, there are two screws (red circles) to remove the magnet housing. Unscrew them and pull the housing away.
The threaded end sticking out is the armature--pull it out and the motor will now be disassembled and ready for a rebuild. The red arrow is pointing at the commutator, or comm, which rotates within the brushes (green arrows) due to a torque generated by current in the armature windings interacting with the magnetic field of the magnets in the housing. Clean up the comm using some contact cleaner and a towel, it is also a good idea to use a soft brush to clean out the gaps on the comm.
Remove the old brushes by unclipping the springs holding them in, and pulling off the brass clips (called brush hoods). These old brushes are thrashed and in desperate need of replacement.
If you're stupid like me, you'll buy these brushes. They are slightly too thick to fit, and as you can see they don't have any hoods (clips). This means I had to file them down and solder the hoods on from the old brushes. I bought them from Ultimate Hobbies in Orange, CA, but any hobby/RC shop will have a massive selection. If you're smarter than me, you'll take the brushes with you and ask the cool hobby guy to find you the closest match possible. It'll save you a ton of time (I suck at soldering, and since the brushes are pretty fragile, you have to file them down very deliberately to avoid breaking them). The hobby guy said that they are copper brushes, which will last longer but wear the comm more (though not enough to cause any problems for a VERY long while).
Spray some white lithium into the cavity in the middle (this is the worm gear) and let it drain a bit. Install the new brushes and clip in the hoods (green arrows), but DON'T clip the springs onto the back of the brushes yet! If you do, the next step won't work...
Install the armature back into the motor, being sure the brushes end up touching the comm. Now you can clip the springs in--if you had done this before, the brushes would have been too close together and the armature wouldn't fit!
Pay close attention to this step, because if you rush it you're going to be hating life for a little while! We're ready to put the magnet housing back onto the motor now. The only problem is that the magnets are going to want to pull the armature out while we do it. If so, the last step is going to come back to haunt us: the comm will slip off of the brushes, which will be pushed together by the springs and then the comm won't fit back down. To avoid this, we need to keep the motor gear from spinning, which will keep the armature in place in the motor. I found that the easiest way to do this is to lever a flathead screwdriver between the gear and the raised edge around it (green arrow), then put the housing on (it is upside down in this picture--the writing should be face down when installing the housing). If the armature moves, go back and unclip the springs, spread the brushes out, insert the armature, and try again!)
Now we can reinstall the motor into the regulator. Notice the wear marks (green arrow) on the regulator gear--this is the upper limit of the regulator's travel in your window. I never like exceeding the normal travel of a part during a service (bleeding brakes/pedal travel, adjusting throttle/throttle cable, etc), so I squeeze some tension back into the regulator until the tab is within the wear mark, then insert the motor underneath and hold the regulator tight while screwing the motor back on (red circles).
Now for a little maintenance. While we have the window out, let's lubricate the tracks using some silicone spray lube. This is good practice once a year on all 4 windows, but we never get this kind of access so don't be shy! Also, there are 3 sides of the window that can't be cleaned unless the window is out of the door. They will be filthy. Clean them!
And guess what? We're ready to put it all back together! Stick the window and motor back into the door cavity, and line up those alignment tabs to hold it in place. This is really no fun--it's essentially a do-by-feel process, though I did find it easiest to align the two top tabs first, then rotate everything else until the other two were in. Then put the 6 10mm bolts back in to secure it all.
Pull the motor harness back out and plug it in--remember to clip it back onto the door.
Temporarily connect the power window switch and test it! be sure the track inside moves up and down freely (again, I'm never comfortable testing the upper and lower limits so I'd recommend staying in the middle). Roll the track down until you have access to reinstall the window, then put it back in the door (take it slow and be sure both sides are securely in the channels!) and secure the window clips to the bottom track. Test the window again, all the way up and down.
Replace the plastic sheeting and put the door card back on by feeding the window switch into the handle, hanging the top onto the door and smacking the bottom clips back into place. Plug the window switch back in, reinstall the fasteners, door handle trim, and tweeter surround, and you're done!
If you're like me, you'll grab a beer and be satisfied with yourself =] Then you'll be pissed when the motor still grinds to a halt. There was a lot of play in my regulator (the entire thing felt loose--both tracks twisted, and the hinge in the middle had probably 1 mm of horizontal play), and I think it is binding up and causing the motor to overheat and trip its internal circuit breaker.
If anyone has any other ideas as to why it is happening, please let me know! Otherwise I hope this DIY might help a few people tackle this job. Thanks for reading!
The step by steps were very well written and the pics were very good. Just removed the motor regulator assembly on my 99 Camry yesterday to troubleshoot. The window would not roll up at times but would do so after a few minutes later. After inspection, the motor brushes seemed to be the problem. The regulator was in good shape so I just ordered a new motor on Amazon for 40 bucks. I will replace the brushes in the old motor and keep it for a spare if I can find some for a couple dollars or so. I'll post details and part numbers on replacement brushes when I do so. Thanks again dj for the diy 
